Happy Birthday Peanut Butter!

You, joyful boy. I cannot imagine how it all happened so fast. You, my sweet little chubby peanut are five years old, already.

You were such a happy baby. I remember thinking just how much you eased into the family. You were happy to be held, happy to watch the world and your brothers orbit. You slept ANYWHERE until you were a year old, and never asked for much at all.

Even now you're such a happy boy. When I get alone with you, you're a chatterbox. Charming and witty, you love to be the star of the show. You're sweet and good natured. I love that you also know what you want and will work hard to get it. You're incredibly bright, you pick up things quickly and work hard to teach yourself new things.

You will work through something you're terrified to do in order to conquer it. You're gentle and helpful with your brothers, and most of all I love that you still love to sneak into bed next to me and snuggle up. You're so fast during the day I relish the slow, quiet moments with you.

You told me the other day you'd like to be own a Pet Shop when you grow up so that you can hold pets everyday. Some might think I have hopes or aspirations for you, but my hopes for you are simply that you nurture & grow the seeds that have been started in you. I hope your kindness will bless your family and friends. That your charm and uncanny wit would buy you frequent audience, as you like. I would hope that you will conquer the terrifying things in your life when necessary, and walk away when it's just not worth it.

...and most of all, at the end of the fast moving days, your tender heart will always land on those you love, and mostly in a rich walk with our God, that you'll care for others and live a full and joyful life that celebrates God's love for you.

Monday's Favorite

This is a favorite way to write scattered thoughts, spinning them into a patchwork colorful as the end of summer season. I haven't written much in the busy recent past, I hope you can somehow pull together all that life is comprised of for us just now...
For Today...

Outside my window... summer is drifting off with the sunset, and I wait with anticipation for autumn, and all the rhythm that comes with: school, classes, bedtimes and routines.
I am thinking...that this is the birth of a new season. We are wiggling into a new life here, and I do think it's going to be wonderful.
I am thankful for...a home. There is much to catch up on, but I must tell you that we found a lovely little home. In a terrible renting market, we went for a purchase and succeeded; I am going to be moving into the most lovely little home in a few short weeks. I'm exceedingly blessed, I am. I can't wait to share with you...
From the learning rooms...we're still sneaking up to full school. Math, penmanship, language arts...and next week we begin CC! Horray!
From the kitchen...cereal boxes and plants litter the counterspace of this teeny apartment kitchen. I will make a birthday cake tomorrow for my sweet-five-Elijah-Jonathan. In some sort of a casserole dish, I suppose.
I am wearing...a sweatshirt. Not because hubby has the a/c cranked up. Because it's coolish and cozy. Shorts, too, no worries.
I am creating...comfortable living in this apartment, and space else where when the walls close in. Structure to our temporary-ish chaotic life.
I am going...to fall asleep grateful, again. I'll also share with you some sweet photos of my Eli.
I am reading...hm, just finished "So Cold The River" and will pick up another that I found at the library this week. I am reading The Core, My Upmost (of course), Proverbs, Psalms & Luke.
I am hoping...so,so much hope. For our home and yard & school. Mostly I'm hoping that God will work in me, to love Him more, to become His more and gain His sight.
I am hearing...Laura Sullivan with Chaco Canyon & the "whiiiishhh" of Eli playing in the tub.
Around the house...Doggy sleeps, laundry waits, ironing calls, oranges ripen, little boy gets clean, legos decorate, books are stacked and all is calm- just now.
One of my favorite things...the changing of the seasons. And seeing God's little treats for us.
A few plans for the rest of the week: CC meeting, library trip, taking the boys to a new spot I found on the river, where they can collect all the pretty stones they like. Awanas, Birthday cake & wishes. Doctor's appointment, and school.
Here is picture thought I am sharing...For Today...

The cutest baby of 2005, no doubt. Go ahead, try me!!

Water Boys

A long bike ride on the river trail found us at a park meant for swimming and beach play. We didn't hesitate in to dip our toes in the water, saved from the August heat.

Sand is for pushing, pulling.

Boys are for water.

Dad's are for smiling.

Quiet minutes

Days of Summer

Snow Cones... a dream come true!

Hamsters must be bathed too. No, it's not so bad.

The library is our stomping ground.

Delectable finds....

Bubbles

I had no idea what a great toy he was choosing when Nate asked to spend his allowance this week at the bookstore. I about choked when he asked to buy a bubble maker that was $18! But Nate always comes up with unique toys, and The Bubble Thing seemed like just the kind of thing he would love, so I let him get it. (Look carefully at the photo above, you can see that the bubble is actually popping, the back is broken. It takes a long time for big bubbles to "vanish")

You can only imagine how amazed we were to see the results...

The book teaches you the best way to make bubbles from soap...and the best environment for making big bubbles. We learned that here it's morning. :) So I was out in my jammies taking photos and loving this fun.

lone

empty handed

stretched

lone

weary

Slow Start

We're not launching into our school this year, we're sneaking into it.

I'd read it in a book, the suggestion to start just one thing at a time with your school year. And I LOVE it. This week we started our school back up. Having nearly two months off was plenty of unstructured sleep-in-hanging-around-in-jammies-way-too-long time. So we're back to work, but we're getting in our groove gently.

We started Math this week, and it was just right. Just doing math gave me time to get a feel for how much time it's going to take each day. It gave me time to work with each of my three boys and evaluate whether I had the right books to start with and where to start with each of them. The boys got to ease into the idea of sitting down to sit down and do some hard work with me again. We're getting into our groove. Simply.

The new school year can be really overwhelming. And I have a tenancy to start out the year with too much on the agenda, trying to fill in all the gaps with school work. I am hoping this slow start will help me to get a feel for how much work is enough.

This next week we're going to fall into penmanship, reading for the littles and spelling for the bigger. Again, it gives me time to figure out what these topics will look like for us this year, plan them carefully and figure out what kind of prep I'm needing to do.

And so I'm planning to add a little each week, a new topic. How are you starting your school year?

Last of Yosemite

So there you have it. The last of the Yosemite/ CA vaca photos. I love this last photo, just boys being boys. I am so glad God found me suited as a good mama for boys. Love it.

Yosemite Pics

Summer's Pleasure

Indian Summer of the Heart

The call of the birds woke me up this morning, the summer sun streaming in my window and it all seemed to remind me that summer's eve is upon us. The air will soon be breathing autumn, a new season in a new place for us, but no doubt it will bring with it ornamental leaves that spin to the ground and the smell of sleeping pines, towering in the greying skies. Eve of summer...A flip on the page of the calendar announces a new year in the life of my youngest, and sets off that change for all my boys. Four, Six & Eight, on to "Five, Seven and Nine." It's in slow motion, over months that these changes come but August always pokes me and reminds me of the growing up of little boys and young men.
"Five, Seven & Nine." Those words will be foreign on my tongue awhile.

So in the midst of our slow start, we'll let summer drag out as long as we possibly can. Indian summer of the heart. Another trip to the river, another hike. Swimming every day until their lips turn blue & the fun is frozen out of it. In the midst of this move & 'temporary' living we'll momentarily forget about the changes and let the sunshine swallow us up and revel in our home out doors, taking time to really hear what summer is, in the language of nature.For there really is no such thing as temporary living. Today happens today and then it will be swallowed up by tonight. Our home is not in this little apartment, nor in the building that waits for us to fill it with furniture & laughter, but in this day. Our home is in all that we do and live and the God that we put our faith in.

This is, no doubt a struggle for me just now. I am not enjoying the in-between feeling. But for today I'll throw myself into life, tasting every last bit because I'm remembering that this day will come and go regardless of how I live in it.
I'm alternately delighted and crushed by the changes that this relocation brings to us. But the topics of home, time and the heart that wake me up and force me into putting the pout away and just living, just enjoying all that I do have. For autumn is coming...

"All humanity finds shelter

in the shadow of your wings.

You feed them from the abundance of

your own house, letting them drink from your rivers

of delight.

For you are the fountain of life,

the light by which we see."

Ps 36:7